The United Kingdom announced on Friday the deployment of around 200 anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine to bolster its defenses after Russia attacked several cities in the country and called on its allies to “redouble their efforts” to provide military support to Kiev .
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Russian President Vladimir Putin is “testing Ukraine’s defenses and the West’s resolve… and today’s dispatch of an air defense package sends an irrefutable signal that the UK remains absolutely committed to supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian barbarism British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement.
These ASRAAM missiles, originally designed to be fired from the air, have been adapted to power ground-based anti-aircraft systems that the British have already delivered to Ukraine at the end of 2022.
They “will strengthen Ukraine’s critical air defense capability,” the Defense Ministry said.
According to Ukrainian authorities, Moscow launched a large series of missile and drone attacks on several cities in Ukraine on Friday morning, including the capital Kiev, killing at least 18 people and wounding 132.
“(Vladimir) Putin's latest wave of deadly airstrikes is a desperate and futile attempt to revive himself after the catastrophic losses of hundreds of thousands of conscripts,” stressed Grant Shapps.
The minister also called on the “free world” to “come together and redouble our efforts to give Ukraine what it needs to win.”
Since the start of the year, the United Kingdom has deployed Challenger 2 main battle tanks, three batteries of AS-90 artillery pieces, hundreds of armored vehicles and Storm Shadow cruise missiles and long-range attack drones.
The amount of British military aid to Ukraine amounts to 4.6 billion pounds (5.3 billion euros).
The British army has also trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers, including future pilots, who can handle the F16 fighter jets.
An initial cohort of six pilots completed a training period in the UK last week and returned to Denmark to continue their F16 training.